The Impact of the Coalition of Pentecostalism and African Traditional Religion (ATR) Religious Artifacts in Zimbabwe

The rise of the mega- Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe has brought an overarching coalition of religious artifacts in its quest to engage with the private and public lives of many Zimbabweans. Adaptation to the unstable political and economic decline in Zimbabwe has led to some proliferation of complex, interwoven practices between Pentecostalism and African Traditional Religion. Intrinsic violence, manipulation, extortions, cunning miracles, misrepresentation of the Bible and an elusive rhetoric of prosperity are used to gain obedience of the suffering populace. Somewhat, an alliance of religious artifacts, expressions, identity, and meaning forms a new hybrid of African Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe. This article explores the social, economic, psychological and political meaning of these religious artifacts coalition. The article uses United Family International (UFI) as a case study. This study collected data through interviews and sermons analysis.